Systems and methods for fitting golf clubs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9737775-B2
Application number	US-201313841598-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Aug 7, 2012
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A system for fitting golf clubs to golfers that enables an overall club length to be varied without varying a length of a shaft. The system enables a greater number of combinations of club characteristics, such as shaft flex, brand, and length, to be contained within a club fitting cart and/or for a same number of combinations of club characteristics to be contained within a smaller cart.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A golf club fitting system, comprising:
a plurality of wedge-type golf club heads including:
a first club head having:
a first striking face;
a first main body;
a first hosel extending from the first main body;
a first loft angle LA 1 ; and
a first hosel length HL 1 ;

a second club head having:
a second striking face;
a second main body;
a second hosel extending from the second main body;
a second loft angle LA 2 greater than the first loft angle LA 1 , a difference between the second loft angle and the first loft angle being no more than 15°; and
a second hosel length HL 2 less than the first hosel length HL 1 by at least 0.340 inches;

a third club head having:
a third striking face;
a third main body;
a third hosel extending from the third main body;
a third loft angle LA 3 greater than the first loft angle and less than the second loft angle; and
a third hosel length HL 3 less than the first hosel length HL 1 and greater than the second hosel length HL 2 ; and

a fourth club head having:
a fourth striking face;
a fourth main body;
a fourth hosel extending from the fourth main body;
a fourth loft angle greater than the first and third loft angles and less than the second loft angle; and
a fourth hosel length HL 4 less than the first and third hosel lengths HL 1 and HL 3 and greater than the second hosel length HL 2 ;

a plurality of shafts each having the same shaft length, at least some of the plurality of shafts differing in brand identification and at least some of the plurality of shafts differing in shaft stiffness; and
a container configured to store the plurality of wedge-type golf club heads and the plurality of shafts.

2. The golf club fitting system of claim 1 , wherein (i) the difference D 13 between the first hosel length HL 1 and the third hosel length HL 3 , (ii) the difference D 34 between the third hosel length HL 3 and the fourth hosel length HL 4 , and (iii) the difference D 42 between the fourth hosel length HL 4 and the second hosel length HL 2 are substantially equal to each other.

3. The golf club fitting system of claim 2 , wherein the differences D 13 , D 34 , and D 42 substantially equal 0.125 in.

4. The golf club fitting system of claim 3 , wherein (i) the difference between the first loft angle and the third loft angle; (ii) the difference between the third loft angle and the fourth loft angle; and (iii) the difference between the fourth loft angle and the second loft angle substantially equal 4°.

5. The golf club fitting system of claim 1 , wherein:
the third loft angle is greater than the first loft angle by no more than 5°; and
the third hosel length HL 3 is less than the first hosel length HL 1 by at least 0.120 inches.

6. The golf club fitting system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first and second golf club heads satisfy the following:
( HL 1 −HL 2 )= R *( LA 2 −LA 1 ); and

R is within the range of 0.025 in./° to 0.035 in./°.

7. The golf club fitting system of claim 1 , wherein the first, second and third golf club heads are respectively configured to satisfy the following:
3.66 in.−(0.03125 in./°)* LA 1 ≦HL 1 ≦3.78 in.−(0.03125 in./°)* LA 1 ;

3.66 in.−(0.03125 in./°)* LA 2 ≦HL 2 ≦3.78 in.−(0.03125 in./°)* LA 2 ; and

3.66 in.−(0.03125 in./°)* LA 3 ≦HL 3 ≦3.78 in.−(0.03125 in./°)* LA 3 .

Assignees

• Dunlop Sports Company Ltd
• Dunlop Sports Co Ltd

Inventors

• Brunski Jeffrey D
• Daraskavich Matthew R
• Schielke Brian D
• Nivanh Dan S

Classifications

• A63B53/10

  Non-metallic shafts · CPC title

• A63B2053/005

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A63B53/00

  Golf clubs · CPC title

• A63B59/0074 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A63B55/10

  Stands for golf clubs {, e.g.} for use on the course {; Golf club holders, racks or presses} · CPC title